Reflection On Change : Establish Equity Within The Classroom

I teach first grade at Lowe Elementary School; my class is made up of twenty-four very diverse seven year-olds; they come from all over the city of Louisville, from a variety of socio-economic situations. Each student brings a unique personality to our classroom community, and they all work hard to become “smarter and smarter” and to “go to college”. Thirteen students are boys and eleven are girls. Of these twenty-four students, three of them are English Language Learners. Additionally, eight students receive tier two interventions and two receive tier three interventions in reading. In math, five students are tier two and four are tier three. I also teach one student who receives ECE services for a developmental delay. Within my class there is a wide achievement gap.

Like you I too share your concern and reflection. At our January 26th, 2016 School Board Workshop our School Mental Health Team gave an in-depth review of the many mental health professionals and programs that are in place in our schools for our students, staff and families both in and outside of our schools. You can view the video of the meeting by visiting this link: http://livestream.com/citrusschools/events/4738040. In addition I am attaching the Workshop presentation materials that were presented during the meeting. I think you will find that Citrus Schools has and does put Mental Health of our students as a high priority. As you will see it is far more than simply referring students to a hotline. We have teams

This movie, The Classroom, which was very interesting to watch, discusses all that goes on in the school system, the good and the bad. But it also shows how things at home can affect the way the student acts during the school day. This movie definitely makes you look at students that act out differently, instead of punishing them maybe we should all look deeper into the issue and find a way for the student to thrive and use school as an outlet.

When class started, the students automatically started practicing on their parts. They specifically worked on the songs that they were assigned for the day. Looking around the room, he also had the SPIs posted on the chalk board, but he did not go over the objectives he was going to talk about for the day. Also, there were music poster that were either motivational or would help them in some type of way. These are the few

Every day the lesson plan for my class is fast paced and as exciting as possible. The idea is to keep them busy the entire class to avoid disengagement. If we are moving at a good pace it’s harder for a student to zone out or they miss a lot of information. Next, I utilize different types of materials to explain the topic of the day. I may start by giving notes and lecturing, then move on to a video where the same idea is communicated more visually. Changing up instruction methods seems to hold a student attention better than if I simply drone on lecturing. I also like to switch up activities, class may begin with a lecture for fifteen minutes then move on to a worksheet or some online learning. Changing activities provides a natural brain break, although at times I implant those by telling a joke or allowing a student to share a story.

The tax dollars are at work, but for whom, when it comes to education. Some can say, they do not think that their child is getting the best education, they can get from their school district. There is inequity in education because we are still divided, we have various advisory boards for the different races at school such as ELA (English learner Advisory) AAPA (African American Parent Advisory). It should be just a parent advisory in order for everybody to have the same learning achievement. As for inequality in education that is depending on the area, the school is located, I do not see the schools in the upper-class neighborhood complaining that their kids are not getting the best education. The negative consequences of this social problem are that there are children being left behind, retention in grades, suspension, and expulsion (Musu-Gillette, Robinson, McFarland, KewalRamani, Zhang, & Wilkinson-Flicker, 2016). The importance of changing this problem is so we can make sure our children are ready to lead the country when the time comes and make the best decision for us all as it relates our nation and politics. The equity in education is a problem and it needs to be changed through prevention measures, society, and reform.

Education today faces major equity issues and the number of inequities grows as society progresses. Equity in education has two dimensions, fairness and inclusion. According to research, the educational systems structure affects the school systems equity. “Traditionally, education systems have sorted students according to attainment and evidence from studies of secondary and primary schools, which suggests that such sorting can increase inequalities and inequities, particularly if it takes place early in the education process” (OECD, 2008). One major issue of inequity amongst the schools is financial differences. Students who come from a low-income based background have less money which means a less chance at a better education and less opportunities. This is a prime example of how students from different social classes do not have the same fair chance at an equal opportunity in education. Those coming from an upper class can afford to put their children in a private school which means smaller class sizes as which is an advantage in learning. There is so many things that add to the inequities of education and these social domains have direct effects on what and how much children learn. “Children growing up in low-income neighborhoods, for example, are much more likely to experience repeated stress from violence and crime that may inhibit cognitive development” (Russel Sage Foundation, 2017). Racial discrimination is something else that still exists amongst our

This cartoon shows what has changed in a classroom setting from 1961 to 2011. What has changed when a student earns a bad report and the situation this causes between the student and the parents and the teacher. The reaction the parents have towards the student then and now as well as the reaction the parents have towards the teacher then and now.

I used examples and classroom activities that reflect their world resulting in an engaged learner. I created a strong rapport with students, in this way they felt more comfortable expressing their feelings and opinions in the classroom. I always created a semi- relaxed atmosphere, encouraged smiling and incorporated humor. Getting away from the podium and the front of class and interacting with the learners created more equality in the class. I would get to school early to chat and bond with the students.

As a future teacher, I often think of ways to teach in order to reach all of my students. However, the challenge is that not all students learn the same way. While one may remember the lesson by the words that were written on the board, another may retain the information because they listened and weren’t distracted by anything else in the classroom. There may even be one student who will remember what we did because we got out of our seats for a particular part of the lesson that integrated movement that corresponded with the lesson. This is where creativity with lesson planning is vital to a student’s success. My goal is to ensure that my students retain the information being given to them. Therefore, it is important that I make sure that I include a variety of different activities to ensure that students with different intelligences have the opportunity to learn.

We have learned about equity through this last five weeks. However, I like to passion that chapter 13 from Blankstein & Noguera (2015) have about having equity in Chesterfield Country Public Schools. Blankstein & Noguera (2015) “realized changing the culture and steering this ship on a course that embraces equity and diversity while maintaining excellence was going to agitate some already rough waters. And any public discussion about race was going to be very risky.” (p. 241). Also, because of our nation’s history, the topic of race is one of the most sensitive of polarizing in these days (Blankstein & Noguera, 2015). This idea if thought provoking for me because sometimes I am one person who does not like to talk about race because back

One of my greatest concerns in the classroom involves equity—or fairness. Many people confuse equity with equality; however, they are not synonymous. According to the Sewall Foundation, “equality is sameness,” or “giving everyone the same thing”. Equity, contrarily, is fairness, or “giving everyone access to the same opportunities” (“Equality vs. Equity”). Equality can be compared to giving all 2nd graders size 2 shoes, while equity is giving each 2nd grader a pair of shoes that fits his or her feet.

I saw a great establishment of classroom community, ethics and equity during my recent practicum experience with years three and four. The school regulations and policies concerning equity were established in the classroom and reinforced from the very start. These rules and regulations established were visually accessible within the classroom for all students and were reiterated orally throughout the day. Regulations around equity also engendered expectations for/of teachers. The expectations placed on teachers were of a high standard to assure that all students were receiving the very best learning experience possible in a tailored and targeted way, for their individual learning and achievement. Equity establishment

The Ginott quote reminds me of my years as a preschool teacher. I had times that I was more inspiring than torturous, and times that were more miserable than joyous. Unfortunately, this same sediment echoed down the halls of the school. I was a requested teacher and I knew that I loved to work with kids, but I was having a hard time being trapped in a room with them for eight hours. I lacked knowledge and resources but fully understood the impact I had on the children in the class. I knew I had to leave and learn, before I did damage. The variation in the way that I viewed my position is one of the reasons I returned to school to continue my education.

Equity in the classroom to me means that all children and teachers should have equal opportunity to express and develop thought into the classroom discussions. Especially when young children are starting to develop their thought process, key point to encourage their thoughts. We as the educators need to find ways to support the children’s language and knowledge of their surroundings. In many situations, the schools fail to be successful due to the need of money, to be able purchase materials needed to teach and assist the students. School district budgets should include bring more teachers into the school to lower the classroom size. Along with assisting the teachers that have students who learn at different levels. I wonder that if special education classes have enough materials. For example, in my son’s high school, I have seen that they need more technology. Yet it turns out that technology has their own budget, as well as staffing contains their own budget. The hard work and good intentions of educators who often lacked professional support and sometimes worked in substandard conditions (Blankstein, Noguera, & Kelly, 2016, p. 186). Sadly, many schools don’t fix the building or classroom that need improvements, so that the students can have safe and well lighted and fully stored with the needed materials. As a teacher can you really work if you don’t have enough